Method for producing reinforced plastic, resinous, or like structural bodies, forms,linings, and coatings



Sept. 2, 1958 F. c. THOMPSON 7 2,850,421

METHOD FOR PRODUCING REINFORCED PLASTIC, RESINOUS, OR LIKE STRUCTURAL BODIES, FORMS, LININGS AND COATINGS Filed March 31, 1955 Iiili! 1x VETJTOR FREDERJCK C. THOMPSON BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent LETHOD FOR PRODUCING REINFORCED PLAS- TIC, RESINOUS, R LIKE STRUCTURAL BODIES, FORMS, LININGS, AND COATINGS Frederick C. Thompson, Washington, D. C., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of sixty percent to George F. Shea, Washington, D. C., thirty-five percent to Januarius A. Mullen, Grosse Pointe, Mich, and five percent to J. Matthews Neale, Chevy Chase, Md.

Application March 31, 1953, Serial No. 345,762

8 Claims. (Cl. 154-101) The present application relates to a novel method and apparatus for producing reinforced plastic cementitious and resinous and the like structural bodies and forms and particularly to a method and apparatus for combining a plastic, cementitious, viscous, resinous or like vehicle and fibrous reinforcing materials in predetermined proper proportions and projecting them forcefully against a form, mold, object or the like of suitable characteristics to build up plastic reinforced structural bodies, forms, linings, or coatings of desired shape, strength and thickness for the use intended.

Heretofore in the art of forming plastic and reinforced resinous structural bodies and linings or coatings, it has been necessary to provide very expensive matching pressure molds or dies, to line said molds or otherwise incorporate into the molds or dies sheet-like reinforcing fibrious material or cloth, then flow the resinous or plastic vehicle around and through the fibrous material and actuate the molds or dies to squeeze out the excess resin or other vehicle to form a reinforced unitary body. In addition to the expense of the necessary matched forming dies, the necessity of weaving, spinning or matting the fibrous material into desired sheet form and the cost and difficulties encountered in handling the fibrous reinforcing materials and incorporating the plastic or resinous material in proper manner with the reinforcing fibers, these prior art practices have not-re sulted in a uniformity or controlled proportioning of the fibrous material to assure a desired um'form structural strength and rigidity or provided a suitable means for forming uniform reinforcing sheets or inexpensively and rapidly providing reinforced plastic or like products. Furthermore, the prior art methods cannot be accurately mechanically controlled and the quality of product is subject to the skill of the particular operator. For these reasons the prior art methods and apparatus for forming reinforced plastic and like bodies have not been as widely used in industry as its potentialities suggest is desirable and the usage of reinforced plastic and like bodies, forms, linings and coatings has not made the headway in fields, such as the automotive, aircraft, boat and structural building fields, requiring products of intricate shape that might be expected because of the desirable wear, rust, corrosion and heat resistant and non-conductivity characteristics of such plastic or like materials.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of the present invention to provide a novel method of combining plastic, resinous or like vehicles in predetermined desired proportions with fibrous reinforcing membranes to form one or more streams of aggregate and forcefully projecting the aggregate against an open faced mold, form or object of desirable shape and form at predetermined rates while at the same time effecting relative movement between the projected stream or streams of aggregate to form a continuous and infinitely variable production run to form a reinforced structural body, form, lining or coating.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide suitable apparatus for storing in usable condition plastic, resinous, or like vehicles and fibrous reinforcing material and flowing the plastic or like vehicle and fibrous reinforcing material along separate paths to a point of juncture where the vehicle and material are combined in proper proportion while still flowing towards a point of discharge and discharging the combined aggregate from a nozzle-like member against an open faced mold, or a form or object at a desired rate to secure the desired structural thickness for a resulting reinforced plastic, or like body, structural form, lining or coating.

A still further important object of this invention is to provide a reinforced fiber product having its reinforcing fibers uniformly interspersed throughout the plastic, resinous or like binder material or vehicle in unrelated angular relation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of forming fiber reinforced plastic, resinous or like products including provision for incorporating into the binder material when desired suitable additional quantities of plasticizer or thinner or even coloring pigments and foaming agents without the necessity of shutting down operations.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of novel mechanism for feeding predetermined quantities of fiber at reliably controllable rates to an apparatus for unformly intermixing and distributing the fibers to and throughout a binder material in a continuous method of producing fiber reinforced products.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the production of a cellular thermal insulating product of fiber reinforced plastic, resin or the like having good structural strength.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and attached drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of one form of apparatus for carrying out the method of this invention and illustrating one way in which the method may be employed to produce a reinforced plastic, resinous or like body or product;

Figure 2 is a fragmental, longitudinal sectional view of the conveyor hose for separating and carrying the reinforcing fibers of predetermined length to the discharge nozzle for preliminary coating and final discharge with the plastic, resinous, or like constituent into the mold or form for shaping and forming the reinforced product;

Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional view through aninforced resinous, plastic or like product made in accordance with the priorart practices now in use and illustrating in an exaggerated manner the layered dis- Figure is a schematic fiber feed and cutting means adapted for use in place of 'the fiber feed means of Figure 1 in order to assure the production of uniform length fibers from continuous rope-like strands of fiber.

With continued reference to the drawings illustrating presently preferred forms of apparatus for practicing the'method of this invention with either a ribbon-like assemblage of individual fibers or a rope-like fiber'strand as a source, of material, like reference numerals are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

fluid 'stream' floats the fibers substantially endwise in the direction oflfluid flow at a speed dependent upon the rate of 'flow of the fluid stream. 7

Of extreme importance to the success of this invention is the uniformity in length of the fibers and the 7 separation of the fibers into individual fibers travelling .along with the conveyor stream of fluid in parallel spaced relation to one another. Such handling of the fibers assures accurate control of the rate of deposit of the fibers relative to the plastic, resinous, 01" like binder material and, as a consequence, the even distribution of reinforcing fibers throughout the finished product in predetermined V ,densityto provide a product of desired structural strength .inf every direction/ I 7 While the present invention is suitable to produce fiber reinforced products of striking uniformity in structural strength from many difierent kinds of fibers and binders, it is particularly adapted for producing fiber reinforced plaster, resinous, plastic, rubber, cementitious and like products, even reinforced paint, asphaltic and bituminous coatings in either small or large sizes and of very thin ,or very thick cross-sectional area or widely varying crosssectional area. It may be used with equal facility for producing vehicle bodies, panels and the like, such as resinous automobile, boat or aircraft bodies or panels,

-cementitious or plaster building walls, roofs and floors,

plastic, rubber or resinous linings, coatings, tanks and pipe lines for use in conveying or storing corrosive fluids -or combatting rusting and errosive action in underground installations. By controlling the nature of the binder and relative proportions of reinforcing fiber and binder, products of widely varying physical characteristics can be readily and rapidly produced in continuous or non-continuous form merely by controlled relative movement of the' mold or patterns and apparatus of this invention.

Varying widths of products can be readily produced by tside-by-side disposition of two or more discharge lines individually controllable to selectively cut them in or out of operation. The reinforcing fibers may be glass fibers, cotton, wool or other vegetable fibers, mineral fibers or chemically or mechanically produced fibers having the property of imparting strength to a product when in- .corporated in a binder material of the character heretofore mentioned.

Particularly desirable products producible by the .method and apparatus of this invention are glass fiber reinforced resins of the polyester, polyvinyl, polyethylene groups. .The method and apparatus are equally usable for resins which cure readily at normal temperatures or those requiring heating since the molds or patterns ,can be movably supported on conveyors for passing the molds past the discharge lines of the apparatus of this invention and then'to a curing room or curing furnace as circumstances may require.

view illustrating a modified A particular application. of. this invention to produce a reinforced resin contemplates a source of compressed tight connection with the tank wall.

air such as a compressor tank 10 containing compressed air at a suitable pressure, namely, approximately 35 pounds per square inch. Tank 10 containsa pair of outletsll and 12 connected through suitable throttle valves 13 and 14 and pipe lines 15 and 16 respectively to a fiber receiving hopper 17 and a tank 18 containing a suitable resin in commercially available liquid form. Such a resin may be one of the Paraplex P series of resins obtainable from the Rohm and Haas Company of Washington Square, Philadelphia, or Bakelite styrene, Vinylite and phenolic resins and acrylonitrile copolymers and polyethylene coatings obtainable from :the Bakelite Company, East 42nd Street, New York.

As clearly seen in Figure l, tank 18 is preferably in the form of a large metal kettle having an inner liner 19 of flexible rubber or the like and an open top closed by an air tight cover 21 having a pipe connection 22. suitably formed for connection to pipe line 16. Tank 18 at a point near its top edge is provided with an outlet pipe 23 and connected at one end to a curved pick-up tube 24 extending tothe bottom of the tank and at its other end to an outlet fitting zs- Outlet pipe 23 is suitably mounted in the wall of tank 18 to assure an air valve 26 is interposed between outlet fitting25 and a tube or hose 27 leading to and suitably connected to an inlet connection 28 of a combined resin and fiber dischargenozzle 31 to be hereinafter described in more detail. Adjacent its end connected to nozzle 31 tube or hose 27 is provided with a capped inlet fitting 29 which may be connected through a suitable pick-up hose (not shown) to a source of supply of a suitable plasticizer or accelerator material .to control the curing time or a suitable foaming agent provided if a fiber reinforced light weight aerated product is desired. While the aspirating effect of the resin stream alone'cau be relied uponto incorporate such additives at connection 29 by suitable well known mechanical means, pressure injection of the additives may also be accomplished here if desired.

Compressed air pipe line 16 just ahead of tank inlet connection 22 has a'by-pass connection 32 of reduced diameter which is connected to an air line 33 leading to a fitting 34 extending from a side of tube or hose 27. Fitting 34 is adapted to receive an air nozzle 35 in the form of an elbow having its discharge end facing toward the discharge end of tube or hose 27 for a purpose to be hereinafter pointed out. 7

As clearly seen in Figure l, fiber hopper 17 comprises an outer wall 37 having an inwardly tsloping bottom wall 33 terminating in an outlet fitting 39 and a right angularly disposed inlet fitting 41 connected to compressed airline 15. The upper end of wall 37 is interiorly threaded as at 42 to threadedly receive the annular flange 43 of an inner wall member 44 of similar shape but Substantially smaller dimensions than outer wall 37 formingltherebetween an annular air chamber. At .dia-

metrically oppositely spaced points, inner wall member 44 in close axially spaced relation is provided with converging inwardly directed jet openings 45 arranged to direct intersecting jets of. air generally in the direction of outlet 39 from the opposite sides of the hopp r.

Y end remote from-outlet con'nection 39 annular chamber 49 terminates in an outlet connection flange 52 which A suitable throttle suitably connects the interior of tube or hose member 48 to inlet connection 53 of discharge nozzle 31.

Directly above hopper 17 in opposed relation on either side of a vertical plane containing the center line of the hopper, the present invention provides a pair of cooperating fiber feed rolls 54 mounted to rotate with drive shafts 55 suitably journalled in a manner not shown and driven in any suitable manner at uniform speed in opposite directions as shown by the arrows from a variable speed motor 56.

While any suitable fiber material may be fed to hopper 17 by feed rolls 54, the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figure 1 contemplates use of a band of glass fibers of predetermined width in which the fibers are arranged lengthwise from side to side of the band and held together by a light binder such as a heavy starch or light resin coating sometimes known as roving. Such a material is readily available on the market in the form of a roll of substantial width wound on a hollow core and can readily be cut to suitable width by well known cutters adapted to cut transversely through the roll. A band of suitable width cut from such a roll is shown at 57 in Figure l rotatably supported on a spindle 58 by means of the hollow core section 59. The free end 61 of the band of glass-cloth is inserted between rollers 55. The rollers are then operable to draw the free end 61 between them unrolling the fiber material and feeding it continuously between the opposed air jets 45 in hopper 17.

With the apparatus of Figure 1 fully described, the process of this invention is carried out in the following manner:

Tank 18 is filled with the desired amount of selected material and a roll of the selected reinforcing fiber material is placed on shaft 53 and its free end is placed in feeding position between feed rollers 54. Throttle valves 13 and 14 are then opened and regulated to assure the desired fiow of compressed air through lines 15, 16 and 32 and the tubes or hoses 27 and 47 and nozzle 31. Valve 26 being closed at this stage and motor 56 not being in operation, air only will be discharged from nozzle 31, assuming control valves 65 therein are open as shown in Figure l, and suitable adjustment of the air valves 13 and 14 to assure proper air fiow along the two operating lines may be readily effected and checking of the equipment for undesired leaks can be readily accomplished.

Depending upon the desired characteristics of the reinforced product desired, the speed selector (not shown) of motor 56 may be set to assure the desired rate of flow of the reinforcing fiber into hopper 17. The equipment now being ready for operation, the mold, or form 66 to be filled or coated is placed in proper position opposite the discharge end of nozzle 31. In this connection, it is to be understood that mold or forms 66 may be vertically disposed as illustrated or may be horizontally or angularly disposed beneath a nozzle 31 arranged for vertical or angular discharge. The critical factors in this connection are that the area of the mold or form to be filled or coated be disposed at such a distance from nozzle 31 that the full area of the discharge spray pattern from nozzle 31 be uniformly distributed over the mold or form surfaces to be filled or coated and that the mold or form be substantially perpendicular to the axis of the discharge opening of nozzle 31.

if the mold or form has a large transverse dimension, two or more units of equipment should be mounted in side-by-side relation transversely of the mold with their respective nozzles 31 disposed equally distant from the opposite mold or form surfaces so that the peripheral areas just touch or overlap just sufiiciently to assure equalized application of material along the line of juncture of adjacent spray patterns. The proper arrangement of nozzles in this respect can be determined either by calculation of the rate of discharge from nozzles 31 or by trial it being borne in mind that a thickened longitudinal area along the line of juncture in most cases would not be objectionable since the finished face lying against the mold or form will always accurately conform to the surface of the mold or form. Usually a mold or form 66 having a large transverse dimension would also have an even larger longitudinal dimension. This poses no problem insofar as the present method and apparatus is concerned since the mold or form 66 may in such a case be mounted on a suitable conveyor mechanism (not shown) to be moved past the nozzles 31 at a predetermined desired constant or variable rate of speed or swivel joints of suitable well known construction may be interposed in tubes or hoses 27 and 47 to permit a constant or variable sweeping movement of the nozzles relative to the mold or form 66.

With the apparatus adjusted and mold or form readied for operation as heretofore pointed out, control valve 26 is opened and binder material control valve of nozzle 31 is positioned to connect tube or hose 27 with the outlet of nozzle 31. The contents of tank 18 being under pressure from compressed air tank 10 will then be forced up through pick-up tube 24 and along tube or hose 27, the operation of this portion of the apparatus being similar to that of the well known conventional paint guns. Compressed air introduced through nozzle 35 adds its propulsive effect to the binder material in tube or hose 27 to assure continuous flow of binder material at a uniform high rate through hose 27 and out of nozzle 31 in a pattern somewhat like that shown at 69.

At the same time that binder control valve 65 is opened, fiber control valve 65 is also opened and through an electrical contact on its stem (not shown) and control wire 71 carried by tube or hose 47 energizes motor 56 to drive feed rolls 54 to feed the fiber band 61 into hopper 17 between air injection nozzles 45 at the predetermined desired rate of speed. The jets of air from nozzles 45 effectively separate the individual uniform length fibers from the end of band 61 and flip them into parallel relation to the flow of the air stream which carries the fibers into and along inner tube or hose 48 inside of hose 47. The resulting stream of air and individual fibers in hose 48 are successively augmented by the jets of air from nozzles 51 assuring relatively high speed delivery in a substantially uniform stream of the individual fibers to nozzle 31. At nozzle 31 the fibers are injected, partly due to their own forward momentum and partly due to the aspirating effect of the stream of binder material, into the binder material where they become individually precoated and then pass from nozzle 31 in the discharge stream therefrom and are projected into or on the mold or form 66 simultaneously along with the binder material.

Since a predetermined proportioning of the binder material and fibers is effected by varying the feed speed of rollers 54, any desired ratio of binder material and reinforcing fibers can readily be obtained. Furthermore, since the reinforcing fibers and binder material are simultaneously projected into or onto the mold 66 in the predetermined selected ratio and the fibers are individually precoated in passing through nozzle 31, a very exacting uniformity of distribution of binder material and reinforcing fibers is assured throughout the resulting product. Furthermore, since the fibers at the time they are projected against mold 66 are bendable and are projected endwise, the fibers will be distributed in such a way that they will lie in every conceivable relative position throughout the resulting product as clearly illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings.

In event additional plasticizer or some other additive is required for a particular product or a particular portion of a product, the present method and apparatus readily meets the situation in that hose inlet 29 may be connected to a source of the desired additive which can be introduced into the stream of binder material either by means binder material. of the product or due to bending of the product, at all areas except for the strata 79 containing the fibers are event a sandwiched insulating layer may be desired in a unitary structure as depicted in Figure 4. If such a product is desired relative movement of nozzle 31 and mold or form '66 would be arranged for step-by-step movement, the dwell or relative non-movable interval being of 'sufficient duration to allow the desired thickness to be built up. The first period of this interval could then be utilized in the manner just described to build up a solid outer layer 75 (Figure 4). When layer 75 reaches its desired thickness, a suitable foaming agent for the particular binder material being used, preferably a delayed action foaming agent capable of reacting after being deposited to expand the deposited material into a cellular 'gas'eous filled mass, might then be introduced through inlet connection 29 to produce the intermediate spongelike layer 76 and then the final period of dwell could be used to build up a backing layer 77 identical to layer 75. The three layers being completed over a desired transverse section of the mold or form, a relative movement between nozzle 31 and mold or form 66 suificient to expose the next adjacent transverse section of the mold or tensional forces or a combination of such forces, would beunder tension and act to reinforce the natural structural resistance of the bubble walls themselves. An efiective thermal insulating panel fiber reinforced throughout and having solid opposite face layers can, therefore, be readily produced by this method and apparatus.

Even if the sponge-like layer be omitted and a solid product of uniform cross-sectional characteristics were to be formed, i. e., a product throughout like layer 75, the product of the present invention would still be novel and have characteristics and advantages not previously exhibited by present day reinforced plastic, resinuous,

'ccmentitious, bituminous, or like products. To illustrate this fact, Figure 3 of the drawings, depicting more or less diagrammatical the cross sectional appearance of such fiber reinforced products made according to present day laminating methods, may be compared with Figure 4.

Referring first to Figure 3, it will be noted that a cross-sectional analysis of present day products discloses alternating layers 78 of pure binder material unreinforced and reinforcing woven or matted regularly spaced layers 79 of fiber reinforcing material interspersed with right angularly disposed areas '81 of structurally weak Shear forces, directly applied endwise resisted solely by the binder material. 7

Referring to the product shown in Figure 4 which results from this invention, and particularly to the face areas 75 and 77 which represent the structure of conventional solid products, it will be seen that the fibers 82 are heterogeneously interspersed throughout the binder material. As a consequence, no matter what direction stress forces are applied there will be tensioned fibers to resist the forces. It will be appreciated, therefore, that not only is the product of this invention a superior productfrom a structural strength standpoint but is a product which can be made in any desired areas and thickness rapidly and with much less difficulty and apparatus than presently required.

:Referringnow toFigure'S, there issho'wn a modified form of fiber feed mechanism90. The mechanisr'n90 is particularlyiuseful in connection with synthetic extruded fibers of indeterminate lengthjsuch as glass fibers, made :up into a rope-likestrand'91and held, together, if necessary, with a light binder materialsuch as starch or light resin coating. .Since one of the critical features of this invention is the regulation of the ratio of fiber to binder material in the final product, feed mechanism includes in addition to feed rolls 54 carried by shafts 55 and driven by motor 56 a second set of feed rolls 92 carried by shafts 93 in vertically spaced relation to feed rolls 54 and driven from gears 94 of shafts 55 through a transfer gear 97 to gears 95 on shafts 93. While the two sets of feed rolls 54 and 92 may be arranged to feed ropelike strand 91 downwardly toward hopper 17 at the same rate of speed, the gear ratio between gears 94 and 97 is preferably such that the feed speed of rollers 92 is just a slight bit slower than that of 54 with the result that the section 96 of strand '91 is tensioned between the rollers for a purpose that will presently appear.

Feed mechanism '91, also includes a cutter mechanism 101 reciprocatively driven toward and away from the path of strand section 96 from motor 56 through a'spur gear 102, shaft .103, bevel gear set 104, speed reduction gear box 105, splined shaft 106 and a crank arm 107 splined to shaft 106 for adjustable positioning therealong by means of set screw 108. Mechanism 101 includes support member 109 fixedly carried on crank arm 107 by shaft 111 and having horizontally extending, vertically spaced support arms 112 terminating in bearing sockets 113 adapted to rotatably mount a rotary disk cutter 114 and a light low horsepower constant speed motor 115 arranged to impart rotary movement to disk cutter 114.

Feed mechanism 91, due to its common variable speed drive motor 56 and the fixed ratio gearing arrangement, assures the cutting of strand 91 to a predetermined length established by a selected mounting of crank arm 107 on shaft 106 irrespective of the speed at which motor 56 is set to feed strand'91 to hopper 17. Accordingly, the ratio of fiber to binding material desired having once been determined, it is only necessary to set cutter mechanism 101 at the proper point on shaft 106 to secure the desired fiber length in relation to the available speed variations of mot0r'56 and select the desired speed for motor 56. If then a variation from this ratio is desired within the limits of the speed adjustment of motor 56 adjustment of the motor speed alone will sufiice.

Since cutter mechanism 101 swings disk cutter 114 in and out between feed rolls 54 and 92, there is a tendencey to thrust strand section 96 to the left. If this section were not tensioned as previously suggested, instances might arise when no out or an incomplete cutting through would result. It is for this reason that feed rolls 54 and 92 are preferably arranged for creating a tension in strand section 96.

Once the desired length of strand 91 is severed by cutter mechanism 101, the freed end will pass through rollers 54 into hopper 17 and the individual fibers will be torn apart by the air jets from nozzles 45 as previously described and fed through hose 47 to produce the reinforced products as hereinbefore pointed out.

A suitable cleaning solvent can be supplied to tank 18 and run through the hose line 27 and nozzle 31 to clean it. In event use of such a solvent is delayed until the binder material adhering to line 19, hose line-27 and nozzle 31 has hardened it will be also appreciated that flexible liner 19 of tank 18 permits ready cleaning since the hardened coating of binder material may be broken up by flexing the liner. Also ready cleaning of the pick-up tube 24 and hose 27 may be effected, if these members are also made of flexible hosing material, since flexing of the tube 24 and hose 27 will break the internal coating of'binder material loose also. These broken fragments of binder material may be readilyre- "moved from'liner '19 and tube 24*by merely removing these parts and dumping them. Upon reassembly of these cleaned parts and replacement of tank cover 21, opening of valve 14 can be effected to supply compressed air to hose 27 to remove binder fragments therefrom. Also cleaning of hopper 17 and hose 47 may be readily effected merely by shutting off motor 56 and opening air valve 13 to send a stream of clean air through the hopper and hose. Nozzle 31 will, of course, have to be cleaned in any of the well known ways now employed to clean paint spray nozzles.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus of this invention is not only simple and readily maintainable for use but is extremely versatile in use since almost any conceivable ratio of fiber to binder or coating material can be obtained by proper adjustment of throttle valves 13, 14 and 26 the speed of motor 56 and manipulation of nozzle valves 65. For example, if a face layer of pure resinous or other binder material is desired, fiber hose control valve 65 may be closed to shut off flow of fiber through nozzle 31, the closing automatically through control wire 71 cutting off the feed of fiber or hopper 17. The air entering hose 48 would then merely build up pressure within the hose to the 35 lbs. per square inch or back out of hopper 17 with no harmful effects.

If a colored surface were desired, the suitable pigment could be premixed in the tank 18 in conventional manner or in many, if not all, cases could be introduced into the binder material through inlet connection 29. Since liquids passing through a hose and nozzle, such as nozzle 31, and discharged through the air tend to readily intermix, pigment introduced in liquid form through con nection 29 either premixed with a suitable thinner or without premixing, if that is preferred, should be intimately mixed with the binder by the time the discharge of nozzle 31 is deposited in mold or form 66.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. The method of producing structurally reinforced articles of high structural strength from fiber and flowable binder materials comprising the steps of introducing individual fiber strands of uniform length and crosssectional area into a conveyor stream of fluid flowing toward a point of discharge at a predetermined controlled rate to form a fiber ladened fluid stream; flowing a stream of binder material separately toward said point of discharge at a predetermined rate relative to the rate v of movement of said fiber ladened fluid stream; merging said fiber ladened fluid stream into said stream of binder material at a point ahead of said point of discharge to precoat said individual fiber strands and intersperse the fibers throughout the stream of binder material to form a fiber interspersed stream of binder material; then discharging said fiber interspersed stream of binder material onto a surface of desired shape and form for a sufiicient time to produce a deposit of fiber interlaced binder material of predetermined desired thickness; and permitting said deposit of fiber interlaced binder material to set or cure into a solid homogeneous structurally reinforced article.

2. The method defined by claim 1 together with the further step of moving said surface of desired shape and form bodily along a path intersecting said discharged fibre interspersed stream of binder material at a controlled rate while discharging said fiber interspersed stream of binder material onto said surface thereby producing acontinuous deposit of fiber interlaced binder i0 material of uniform thickness which will set or cure into a structurally reinforced article of indeterminate length.

3. The method defined by claim 1 wherein said binder material is in fluid form and a foaming agent is introduced into the stream of binder-material at a point ahead of the point of merging the str am of binder material and the fiber ladened fluid stream thereby producing a deposit of fiber interlaced bubbles of binder material which will set or cure into a lightweight, cellular structurally reinforced article exhibiting good heat insulating properties together with structural strength.

4. The method defined by claim 1 wherein the step of introducing individual fiber strands into a conveyor stream comprises feeding a ribbon-like continuous band of uniform length fibers lightly held in transversely extending side-by-side relation into a confined stream of gaseous fluid flowing toward a point of discharge and including forwardly and inwardly inclined gaseous jets directed toward the entering end of said band from its opposite faces so as to tear the individual fibers from said end of said band and turn them endwise into the gaseous stream thereby forming a fiber ladened fluid stream flowing toward said point of discharge.

5. The method defined by claim 1 wherein the step of introducing individual fibers into a conveyor stream comprises introducing a plurality of continuous fibers lightly held in a rope-like strand to a pair of longitudinally spaced sets of feed rollers; periodically in predetermined timed relation to the feed speed of said strand, cutting the strand at a selected point between said sets of feed rolls to sever successive end sections made up of uniform length fibers; and feeding said severed end sections successively into a confined stream of gaseous fluid flowing toward said point of discharge and directing forwardly and inwardly inclined gaseous jets into contact with the entering severed end sections from opposite sides so as to tear the individual fibers of said severed end sections apart and dispose them endwise in said stream thereby forming a fiber ladened fluid stream flowing toward said point of discharge.

6. The method defined in claim 1 together with the further step of introducing suitable coloring matter into the stream of binder material at a point ahead of the point of merging the stream of binder material and the fiber ladened fluid stream thereby producing a suitably colored stream of binder material flowing toward said point of discharge.

7. The method defined in claim 1 together with the further step of selectively interrupting the introduction of fibers into said conveyor stream and the flow of said fiber ladened fluid stream at least during an initial predetermined timed interval of discharge onto the surface of desired shape and form to produce an initial deposit of suitable thickness of unreinforced binding material thereby forming a smooth surface of pleasing appearance to serve as an exposed face of a completed article of manufacture.

8. The method of producing structurally reinforced articles of high structural strength comprising the steps of feeding a roving of fibre strands into a continuously operating cutter; cutting the roving into short lengths; passing the severed lengths of roving between intersecting jets of air to separate the individual fibre strands from one another; conveying the severed and separated fibre strands and an entraining stream of uncured plastic resin material along separate paths to a predetermined entraining and coating point at which said fibres are precoated by and entrained and interspersed throughout said stream of uncured plastic resin material thereby forming a fibre interspersed discharge stream of uncured plastic resin material; and continuously discharging the fibre interspersed stream of uncured plastic resin material onto a forming surface arranged to collect and support the fibre interspersed plastic resin material until set and cured into a 'form.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED @STATES PATENTS Hansen Dec. 22, 1925 Wenze1=etal June 25, 1929 "Brown Apr. 7, 1936 McKinney May 9, 1939 12 Carson Oct. 8, 1940 Staelin June 2, 1942 King Apr. 10, 1945 Boyer May 22, 1945 Luhrmann Apr. 6, 1948 'Kropa etal Nov. 20, 1951 Fingerhut Sept. 7, 1954 Bacon et a1 Feb. 15, 1955 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING STRUCTURALLY REINFORCED ARTICLES OF HIGH STRUCTURAL STRENGTH FROM FIBER AND FLOWABLE BINDER MATERIALS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING INDIVIDUAL FIBER STRANDS OF UNIFORM LENGTH AND CROSSSECTIONAL AREA INTO A CONVEYOR STREAM OF FLUID FLOWING TOWARD A POINT OF DISCHARGE AT A PREDETERMINED CONTROLLED RATE TO FORM A FIBER LADENED FLUID STREAM; FLOWING A STREAM OF BINDER MATERIAL SEPARATELY TOWARD SAID POINT OF DISCHARGE AT A PREDETERMINED RATE RELATIVE TO THE RATE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID FIBER LADENED FLUID STREAM; MERGING SAID FIBER LADENED FLUID STREAM INTO SAID STREAM OF BINDER MATERIAL AT A POINT AHEAD OF SAID POINT OF DISCHARGE TO PRECOAT SAID INDIVIDUAL FIBER STRANDS AND INTERSPERSE THE FIBERS THROUGHOUT THE STREAM OF BINIDER MATERIAL TO FORM A FIBER INTERSPERSED STREAM OF BINDER MATERIAL; THEN DISCHARGING SAID FIBER INTERSPERSED STREAM OF BINDER MATERIAL ONTO A SURFACE OF DESIRED SHAPE AND FORM FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME TO PRODUCE A DEPOSIT OF FIBER INTERLACED BINDER MATERIAL OF PREDETERMINED DESIRED THICKNESS; AND PERMITTING SAID DEPOSIT OF FIBER INTERLACED BINDER MATERIAL TO SET OR CURE INTO A SOLID HOMOGENOUS STRUCTURALLY REINFORCED ARTICLE. 